Gabala International Music Festival programme

The UK's Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Yuri Bashmet and Al Jarreau are among the musical greats who will perform at this year's Gabala Music Festival.

The international festival will be held from 25 July to 5 August in the picturesque town of Gabala (also written Qabala and Gebele), some 190 kilometres west of Baku.

This year's programme includes master classes for young musicians. The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra’s education team is working in partnership with the British Council to organize and develop a series of workshops for 30 young people living in an orphanage in Mardakan, near Baku.

Festival director Dmitry Yablonsky said, "It is a great honour for the festival that the RPO has agreed to participate, as it is not only one of the best symphony orchestras in the world, but also an ambassador of its country, which helped the festival to closely work together with the British Council helping 30 very talented young musicians from an orphanage in Baku.

"For me personally, I am thankful for the opportunity to make music with such an ensemble, I am looking forward to our collaboration together.”

The festival is organized with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, .

The festival programme is given below. All concerts will beheld at the Qafqaz Hotel in Qabala.